To Catch a Friend
by Neko-Li
Summary: A lonely girl and an unusual friendship... I'm just starting this one, so I'd love input! ON HIATUS
1. Patience is Overrated

**In which Kaledi has a bad day, and starts a scratch collection.**

Kaledi rolled over, squinting her eyes shut against the sun streaming in through the window. With a moan she pulled her pillow over her head, pressing it up against her face, and succeeding in choking herself. Giving up the battle, she lay flat out on the bed, not yet willing to open her eyes and face the day. 

Day!- Kali tumbled out of bed, tripping over stray clothes as she reached for her clock. _No, no, no, no! _ she moaned inwardly. She couldn't have overslept today of all days! Tugging a shirt over her head, she rolled towards her door, struggling to get on pants and shoes at the same time.

She fled down the stairs and into the kitchen, pausing only long enough to throw, "You were supposed to wake me up!" at her startled, owl-eyed father, before dashing out the door, grabbing her jacket as she went. She made it across the streets of the town in record time, and flung herself into the door of the pokémon lab with a resounding thump. Bracing herself on her knees, she waited panting for door to be answered. 

The middle-aged woman who opened it didn't look surprised to see her- but the pity in her eyes told Kaledi everything before she opened her mouth. "Kaledi…" 

"I'm sorry-" Kali gasped out, between breaths, "I'm- sorry I'm late, please- it can't be- over yet." 

Professor Maple shook her head. "Kaledi you know selections were two hours ago. Now I know how much this meant to you, but you're going to have to learn to be on time. You're simply too late." Her tone softened, and Kali resisted the urge to smack the woman. "There's always next year, dear. You'll get your chance yet. You show great promise Kaledi." 

Kali somehow forced the semblance of a smile onto her lips. "Right. Next year." She turned slowly away from the door, as the combined effects of an abrupt awakening, adrenaline rush, and shattered hopes crashed in on her. How _could_ she have overslept? She had missed the Selection, the time once a year when Maple Labs chose three children to receive the traditional fire, water, and grass pokémon. Her one chance to be a trainer. Until next year. 

As far as she was concerned next year was a lifetime away. One more year in this nowhere town, with its nowhere people, and her nowhere life. She felt tears of self-pity prick her eyes and she brushed them angrily away. _Why'd we have to move here anyway? _She turned away from her house, not caring where she was going, but not wanting to face her father and his absent-minded ramblings about art at this moment. _Shouldn't've trusted him to wake me up…_

She couldn't be a trainer without a starting pokémon to catch herself a team with. There were of course, other methods of obtaining a starter- some people bought pokémon, or received them as gifts from friends and family. Neither of which was an option for her, as tight on money as they were right now. 

_And as far from friends, _ she thought, but didn't say. Comments like that got adults started on 'making new friends' and 'fitting in.' Like she hadn't _tried_ making friends. As if all she had to do was step out on her porch and whistle, and there would be a crowd on local children, lining up at her doorstep to 'make friends.' Unfortunately, nobody had anything in common with a born and bred city-girl like Kaledi. Nor did she particularly want to learn to fit in with any of the closely knit cliques of this small town. 

And here she was, trapped in this friendless dot on the map for another year. If she ever got out of here. If she ever got a chance. She dropped down against a tree, and tried to soothe the lump from her throat with a heartfelt sigh. Somewhere in the middle of that sigh she realized where she was, and it transmuted into a sort of strangled gasp. She'd not only passed out of the village, but she strayed beyond the edges of the fields and farms surrounding it, and into wilder territory. It was common sense that nobody went this far out alone. _Not without a pokémon_, her mind added traitorously. This far away from town, it was all too likely wanderers would stumble across wild pokémon, quite a few of which might defend themselves dangerously. 

_Now we're going to add massive injury to the end of a bad day, _ she thought, edging to her feet. _I think I'm ready to face Dad after all. _Which was all very well if she knew where she was. Trying to recall from which way she had come, she started to edge away from the tree, avoiding the tall grass. _I think maybe the sun was in my eyes. _ She turned her back to it and continued forwards, picking her way as carefully as she could. A few minutes later, her guess was confirmed, as she sighted the roofs of buildings in the distance. 

Picking up her pace, she moved towards it at a brisk walk, only to be confronted by a wide patch of grass as tall as her waist. _Tell me I didn't come through this on my way out, _ she thought, shivering at the idea. She tried to find a way around it, but she was even less fond of the notion of making her way through the thick trees that bordered it. All the stresses of the day added up to this, and finally she cried, large, angry tears of frustration and loneliness. "I _hate_ this! I hate this, hate this, _ hate this_!" She dropped down onto her heels, cradling her knees against her chest, as she cried herself out, rocking back and forth. 

Eventually, the tears, stopped, leaving behind swollen eyes, and an aching throat. She pulled an arm across her face, instinctively looking around to make sure she had been seen. Like anyone else would be stupid enough to be out here. Yet a flicker of motion in the corner of her eye set her heart pounding as she recalled her situation. Dragging herself to her feet, she faced the stretch of long grass. _Maybe I've scared everything off, _ she thought unbelievingly. 

She faced the grass for a long time. Finally, one of her feet moved forwards, brushing into the waist-deep grass. The other foot followed. One, and two. One, and two. If she thought of it in small increments, it didn't seem so bad. When she finally looked up, she was halfway across. _I'm going to make it! _Predictably, it was right then that her steps stirred up a violent flurry of motion, that launched into the air in front of her face, nearly stopping her heart. 

"Pid-geeey!" the animal screamed. Slipping through the air on nimble wings, it dived at the face of the girl it perceived as its attacker, a brown tornado of motion. 

Kaledi threw up her arms, shrieking as small sharp claws raked across them. Blindly she dashed forwards, trying to block the beak that struck the back of her head, the wings that pummeled her. She pushed wildly through the grass in a frantic attempt to outdistance her attacker, then picked up speed as she kit open ground. It was only the strange quality to the cry behind her that spun her around. 

The pidgey was making small dives at a small fox-like creature that crouched snarling below. A few feathers littered the ground, and the vulpix had a cut above one eye. _ I must have led the pidgey onto it, _Kali thought, grateful the chase had ended. She didn't dare move, for fear of drawing the one or both pokémon's attention back to herself, but hoped they would content themselves fighting eachother and forget about her. 

The pidgey swooped low, almost touching the ground with its wingstrokes, and sweeping a gust of sand into the pink face of the Vulpix, who sneezed and pawed at its eyes. The little fox-pokémon snapped blindly at the Pidgey as it came within range, but while the vulpix's attack missed, the pidgey's claws struck true. 

Professor Maple had once explained to Kaledi that the wild pokémon in an area naturally reached a balance, and all progressed though similar experience levels at the same time. As the fight progressed however, it quickly became clear that the vulpix was significantly outclassed, and despite its best attempt was taking a beating while the pidgey remained relatively unharmed. 

The vulpix was staggering now, its tails hanging low with pain and weariness, its attacks weak. Its snarl broke off in a yelp as the pidgey struck again, and it stumbled and lost its feet. It tried twice to rise again, then its head dropped between its legs in exhaustion. The pidgey clawed the creature on last time, and, receiving no response, fluttered quietly back into the tall grass. 

Kaledi turned to go, but found she couldn't. The image of the vulpix lying in its pitiful little heap still burned in front of her eyes. Slowly, she turned back. _This is, really, really stupid, _ she remonstrated herself even as she edged towards the injured pokémon. Though the vulpix was making faint noises, it didn't seem to notice her as she drew closer. Slowly, very slowly, she reached one hand toward it, and touched its flank. The pokémon snarled and lashed out at her, catching one claw in the skin of her hand. 

Kaledi sucked the fresh injury, asking herself, _Now can we go? _ No. She couldn't. Making soothing noises, she reached towards the creature again. Its golden eyes watched her warily, and when her hand got in range it snapped viciously at her. Kali narrowly kept her fingers out of those sharp teeth. 

She wasn't quite sure why she was helping it, except that she felt responsible. It wasn't like she could keep it, even if she wanted to. You had to have a pokéball to raise a pokémon, especially a wild one. And pokéballs cost money- more than she had, or her dad could afford to give her. Still, it was her fault. As ungrateful as this vulpix might be, the least she could do was try her best to help it. 

Sitting back, she examined the rose-toned fox creature, and the problem it presented. As in how to get it to a pokécenter without being shredded in the process. Finally she hit an idea that she though might work. Slipping off her belt and jacket, she held the jacket in one hand, and with the other, dangled the belt in front of the vulpix, swinging it just slightly. She waited until the pokémon's eyes went from her face to the belt, then gave the belt a small toss into the creature's face. The vulpix snarled, sinking its teeth and front claws into the leather of the belt and tearing at it. While so many of its weapons were thus occupied, Kali tossed the jacket over the vulpix, quickly wrapping it up against its frantic strugglings, and obtaining a few more scratches to add to her collection. When she had its clawed legs mostly under control, she shifted the squirming bundle into her arms so that its teeth couldn't reach her. It struggled a few moments more, but it was weak, and its efforts were fruitless. Finally, the vulpix settled, glaring balefully at her from around a mouthful of belt. 

This manner continued for most of the trip, until abruptly, the vulpix dropped of to sleep, weariness winning out over wariness. Asleep, its face smoothed into features that would have made a cherub green with envy, and the little vulpix seemed totally incapable of harm. The scratches on Kaledi's arm belied that impression. 

So it was with relief that she entered the pokécenter, and went up to the counter. A chansey in a nurse's cap chimed a welcome at her, then disappeared into the back. Moment's later a red-haired woman emerged. 

"Kaledi!" the woman said in surprise. She smiled. "Were you Selected, then?" 

Kali shook her head, reminded of her gloom. "No." She really didn't want to go down that path, so she changed the subject. "This one got into a fight with a pidgey that went after me, Nurse Joy." She held the bundled vulpix up for the nurse's inspection. 

The nurse clucked sympathetically over the sleeping pokémon's wounds. "Poor little fellow. We don't get too many Vulpixes down here. He must have wandered pretty far from home. But we'll fix him right up!" She once again disappeared into the back of the pokécenter, returning a few minutes later without the vulpix. "He should be feeling good as new by tomorrow. Would you like me to register him to you?" 

"What?" Kali said startled. She felt a pang of longing go through her. _If only…_ "Oh- oh, no. I didn't catch him. I don't have a pokéball so I couldn't keep him anyway." 

Nurse Joy gave her a knowing look. "That's too bad. He must be pretty comfortable with you if he fell asleep." 

Kaledi actually laughed. She held up her scratched arms, touched her scratched face. "If this is comfortable, I don't want to see him when he's friendly!" 

Nurse Joy chuckled. "Perhaps not. Let me get you some salve for those." 

"Chansey Chan-sey!" The round pink pokémon bobbed into view at the nurse's side, offering several small jars. 

"Thank you, dear," Joy said, setting to work on Kali with the salves. As she finished up dressing the wounds she asked, "I know you can't keep him, but would you mind picking up the vulpix tomorrow morning? I'd let him go myself but we get so busy after Selection day." 

Kaledi nodded, conflicting emotions leaping about her head. "I'll be here." 


	2. Ego Puncture

**In which Kaledi is haunted, and Shydri has close encounters.**

The experience did not fall into the category of enjoyable. Not in any sense of the word she was familiar with. Kaledi had awoken with the image of that darling pointed face in the forefront of her mind, and set off toward the pokécenter rather wondering if she could stand letting the little creature go. He was such a cute little thing… 

She tried to remember that impression as she struggled with the snarling fully-restored-to-health bundle Nurse Joy had handed over to her. Though the vulpix had seemed well-secured at the start, if not exactly docile, somewhere during the trip he had worked a pawful of claws through the blanket Nurse Joy had used. The fox pokémon was currently alternating between attempts to bite her and scratch her, several times succeeding as she shifted her unruly bundle. 

"Oow…" She winced, glaring irritably at the vulpix as she examined her latest injury. "You know that's a really rotten way to say 'Thank you.' Not everybody would put up with an ungrateful little wretch like you!" She poked a remonstrative finger in the pokémon's face, then jerked it back as the fire-fox's sharp teeth snapped shut. "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about! Can't you tell the difference between enemies and- and- non-enemies? I am _not_ out to get you." 

Kali's only was response was a baleful, golden-eyed glare. 

"Remind me again why I'm doing this," she muttered to the world at large. She was reaching the edge of the farmlands, and she slowed her pace somewhat, stepping carefully, and looking about for an appropriate spot for the release. Spying some tall grass bordering the woods, she edged within a few yards of it, and stopped to ponder strategy. 

Eventually, she just grabbed one edge of the blanket and yanked, dumping the vulpix unceremoniously to the ground as she leapt backwards. He blinked in startlement, then got to his feet, shaking himself out. He crouched warily in front of her, watching her with big, golden eyes. 

"Well, go on then!" she said, when the vulpix didn't move after a time. She waved a hand. "Shoo!" A less than comforting notion entered her head, and she wondered uneasily if he was going to attack her. The hair along the back of her neck pricked. 

She had just decided to make a run for it, when, with a flick of his tail, the vulpix broke the stalemate, vanishing abruptly into the grass. Kaledi stared after him for a moment. "Well. That was certainly exciting." Finally she turned, and started back into town. If twin golden eyes watched her from the tall grass, well, who was about to notice them? 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Her father glanced up from his sketchpad as she entered the house. "Kali, there you are! I've been waiting to show you this all morning. I really think I have something here. Look, see how the ecumenical design enhances the-" 

"I was letting a pokémon go for Nurse Joy," she interrupted him, both because she was in a bad mood and because she knew he wouldn't ask. Not that he wasn't a caring father, he just got so wrapped up in his work sometimes… 

"Pokémon! Selection day is coming up, isn't it?" 

"Yesterday, Dad." 

"What?" He reached for his glasses, and started fumbling through the papers on the table. "What day is it?" He finally found his planner in the mess. "Ah!…Oh. _Oh._" He turned towards her, contrition on his face. "Kali, dear, I'm sorry. I forgot again, didn't I?" 

"It's no big deal," she muttered. 

"Oh, Kali…" he reached towards her, but she stepped out of range, not quite willing to forgive an forget. Her father sighed, setting down his papers as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, dear, you'll get your chance next year. And I know it's selfish, but perhaps you'll forgive your scatterbrained father if he says he's just as glad you're staying home another year. There have been all those muggings of pokémon trainers lately." 

Kaledi nodded reluctantly. Muggings and thieves had never been unheard of, but police were saying this new wave of attacks showed signs of an organized group. The muggers posed as trainers, and challenged real trainers to matches. They used a number of strategies to ensure they won, by means fair or foul, then set their own pokémon on the trainer. Worst of all, as far as the trainers were concerned, they didn't steal money- they stole pokémon. That was an idea that made her stomach roil. 

"So, no leads yet?" she asked, heading towards the refrigerator for something to settle her stomach- she'd missed breakfast. Asides from one lonely jar of veggie dip huddled in a corner, it was empty. She rolled her eyes, sighing, and went for the money-jar. Looked like she was doing the shopping again. 

"Not a trace," her father replied. "Are you going out again?" he asked, seeing her headed towards the door. "Stay; we can eat lunch together. I know I don't pay enough attention to you." 

"Um, yeah, that's going to be a problem, Dad. Remember that little chat we had about not eating everything in the fridge unless you're willing to head straight to the mart?" 

"What? Oh." Her father looked sheepish. "Must have overlooked it. I get so busy." 

Kaledi grinned. "Guess we're lucky I'm so self-sufficient," she said wryly, doing a fairly good job of squelching the bitterness that wanted to creep in. 

Her father smiled benignly, turning back to his work. "Yes, very lucky, dear." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

"What's the matter Citygirl? You're twitchy today. Going to go psycho on us?" 

Kaledi blushed at the mocking comment. She was beginning to think there _was_ something wrong with her. Some problem with her vision, if not her mind. All day, it seemed, she had been catching flickers of motion in the corner of her eye, but every time she turned to look, nothing was there. It was bad enough to be starting at shadows when alone, but to do so in front of this particular gang of village kids… 

It wasn't that she wanted them to like her. Or at least, she didn't care one bit if she was 'part of the group.' Currying favor wasn't a game she had much interest in. She just didn't want them to scorn her, either. If she was going to be alone she'd rather be respectably aloof than a loser. _Not that I care one bit what they think,_ she thought fiercely. 

Looking up at the speaker, she forced a smile. "It's nothing. Hey, congrats on getting Selected, Shydri." She tried her best to look casual. 

Shydri glanced sideways at her, hand moving unconsciously to the pokéball on his belt. "Thanks. Where were _you_, anyway? You've only been going on for months about how you were going to get a pokémon and get out of here first chance." 

Kali blinked. "I- I had other things to do. There's always next year." She winced inwardly as she heard herself parroting the trite phrase the adults had been 'consoling' her with. 

Luckily, no one was paying attention to her, as the conversation had broached the only topic the other kids were interested in at the moment. "Come on, Shydri- let's see it!" "Yeah, let us have a look!" "I barely got a glimpse of the pokémon, Selection day!" "Don't be greedy!" 

Shydri looked uncertain. "He's not really used to a lot of people yet. He can get awful fierce…" 

At his hesitancy, the crowd of village kids immediately started a second beseeching commotion. "Wow, is it really strong?" "Aw, come on!" "You're so lucky, Shydri!" "Pleeease?" 

The adolescent swelled pridefully. "Well, I suppose I could bring him out for just a minute. But don't get to close!" He took on a superior tone. "Only a trainer can handle a pokémon." He waved an arrogant hand at them. "Get back a bit." 

As he fiddled with the pokéball on his belt, Kali lurked uncomfortably on the fringes of the group, unwilling to admit her envy- especially to herself. She distracted herself by focusing her attention on the occasional flickers of motion at the edges of her vision. Dang it, I could swear there was something out there, she thought in frustration, as she caught the tail end of another movement in the corner of her eye. Her efforts to divert her mind had worked to perfection; Kaledi had totally forgotten the groups of villagers cooing admiration over Shydri's new pokémon. If I was just a little faster… 

Spinning too abruptly, she overbalanced and stumbled backwards through the crowd. Her foot thumped into something soft, and she toppled completely, sprawling across the ground. 

Shydri's seel squealed shrilly when her foot hit it, and waddled rapidly to hide behind Shydri's legs, honking in alarm. A chuckle of amusement rippled through the village kids. Kaledi got to her feet slowly, and found herself face-to-face with Shydri, beet red with anger and embarrassment. "What're you doing, going after Tide like that?!" he growled, stepping forward. "Watch where you put your clumsy feet, Citygirl." He planted his hands on her shoulders, shoving her roughly backwards. The ferocity of the attack caught her off guard, and she fell again, scraping the heels of her hands against the ground. Shydri advanced toward her again, and she struggled to reach her feet. 

A sleek form streaked past her, snarling a challenge. She blinked as Shydri reeled backwards, batting at the small pokémon that had set into him. It was a vulpix. More specifically, he was _the_ vulpix, the one she had brought into the pokécenter and then released. 

The onlooking village kids were apparently too stunned to react. They stood gaping as Shydri wrestled with the vicious pokémon, his seel striving to work its way between them. Collecting herself, Kaledi waded into the fray, dragging the wild vulpix off the battered pokémon trainer. The vulpix continued snarling and scratched indiscriminately at everything that came into reach- which was mostly Kali. Resolutely, she pulled him tight against herself, restricting the movement of the clawed paws, and locking its jaws shut between her fist and chin. 

Winded, she turned towards Shydri. He was gingerly rubbing his bleeding face and arms, and when he looked at her, there was fear beneath the anger in his eyes. The crowd stirred uneasily. "Setting pokémon against people is a crime. I'll- I'll have you…" 

Kaledi's heart almost skipped a beat. "He's not mine! He's a wild!" 

The fear slowly faded from Shydri's eyes. He barked a laugh, though it sounded weak. "Oh. Well. Good." 

The entire group seemed pretty much at a loss, and as the silence grew prolonged, Kali occupied herself with avoiding the vulpix's sharp claws. So she didn't see the grin that spread across Shydri's face, or the light that entered his eyes. She didn't notice anything until he spoke. 

"Well, if it's wild then it's fair game. Vulpixes are pretty rare around here!" He dug a pokéball out of his backpack, and took aim. "Hold still, Citygirl…" 

Kaledi didn't know she was going to act until she was already moving. Flinging the startled vulpix to one side, she didn't wait to see him disappear: she tackled Shydri and set into him with both fists. 


End file.
